His Final Hours
by SevsGirl33
Summary: After Severus Snape left Hogwarts during the Battle of Hogwarts, and before the Dark Lord forces Lucius to find Severus, where did the Potions Master retreat to? And what were his thoughts as he spoke with the Dark Lord?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

His feet hit the ground in front of the old rusted gate. Air filled his lungs and he looked around, as though expecting to find Death standing behind him. He walked across the dark playground skillfully, although it had been many years since he had been there last.

He walked slowly toward a bush on which flowers were just beginning to bloom. Smiling slightly, he picked a small white blossom off. The bush must have been replaced many times between now and when he had crouched here so many years ago, wanting to be seen but remain hidden. He knew it could not be the same bush that Lily had taken a flower, so very like the one Severus now held, but all the same, he felt oddly at peace as he, like Lily, caused the flower to close on its self, then reopen.

Placing the beautiful flower delicately into the pocket of his robes, he turned and saw the broken swing she had flown from, the falling tree that had provided shade for them as they grew up, and the worn down fence he used to jump to reach her here.

As he looked at the overgrown playground, so important to his past, he felt his eyes began to sting. He suddenly wished he had not come. The emptiness of his surroundings engulfed him and he sank to his knees, tears flowing shamelessly down his face.

He could not take the solitude of the deserted playground any longer. Thinking of nothing but Lily; her eyes, her smile, and the way she used to say his name as though she simply loved to sound of it; he whispered _"Expecto Patronum,"_ and her doe erupted from his wand. She cast a warm glow on the ground around her as she pranced to the place he was kneeling. He longed for her closeness, wishing she would never leave him. She lowered her head to his level and he closed his eyes as wonderful memories flouted through the years back to him. He thought of Lily's small, soft hand that would slip into his when she was nervous, scared, or just needed someone to hold onto. He remembered the smell of her flowing red hair when a breeze blew it into his face. He recalled how she would snuggle up next to him on cold winter days as they walked the-"

"Severus?" The unexpected voice cut through the memories like a knife, causing him to jump slightly. His eyes shot open, and the doe was gone, taking all her warmth and light with her and leaving him feeling more alone than when he was the only soul in sight.

Severus felt confused and dazed by her abrupt disappearance as he looked at the dark figure that had called his name so cautiously. He became aware of how weak and foolish the scene must have appeared to the new arrival: Severus kneeling, his face wet with tears that shimmered in the light of his lost love.

The figure knelt where he stood ten feet away, now on the same level with Severus. Severus could not see the man's face, and knew not who he was, for it was taking some time for him to regain his senses. However, by the way the new man's shoulders hung, it was plain to see the agony that he felt.

_This, at least, we have in common,_ Severus thought as he stared at the other man, who stared back at him without saying a word. They sat in mournful silence, neither wanting it to end, both knowing it must. The new arrival spoke first, after nearly five minutes.

"He calls." Severus now recognized Lucius Malfoy's voice. He understood the two uttered words as though Lucius had given a loud and detailed explanation.

"Where?" He did not want to go, did not want to keep up the lie that had consumed most of his adult life, but knew it was the only way to insure that Lily had not died in vain.

"The Shrieking Shack."

Silence engulfed them once more. Both men were lost in thought. Judging by the way Lucius was still kneeling with his shoulders forward, he was still thinking of what he had come thinking about. Severus, however, had no room in his thoughts for Lily at the moment. His mind was reeling with questions that needed answering. One that he felt most desperate to hear the answer to:

"How did you find me?" The question was barely a whisper, but he knew Lucius had heard him, for the latter tensed ever so slightly.

As Severus had expected, the answer was not immediate. He waited quietly, needing to know. He could not recall a time that he had ever revealed this part of his past to Lucius, or anyone for that matter. If Lucius knew, perhaps Severus had let it slip in his presence. And if he did know, might he not have told the others and even (Severus felt nauseous as he thought it) the Dark Lord himself?

"You must understand, Severus," Lucius started in a rushed and nervous voice, "he sent me to find you! He thinks you are part of the battle still, he didn't hear that you left. I searched Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley; I went to your house. I even checked Grimmauld Place, but to no avail. But then I though…" He cut off there. He looked around the park, then down at his hands on his knees.

"How did you find me?" Severus repeated, this time much louder. Lucius jumped at the harshness in his voice, but Severus would not let the subject go. He stared at the pitifully weak figure in front of him. "Please, I must know." His voice was calm again, and the sudden change in tone made Lucius look up at him.

"Forgive me, please. I didn't want to hear, but I it was so strange." Lucius sounded as though revealing this would bring about his death. "It was right after the start of term feast for your first year. As Prefect, I was to lead all first year Slytherins to the common room. Everyone followed except you. I noticed you slip away as we left the Great Hall. I intended to follow you, to reprimand you for running off on your first day. I noticed you were waiting by the doors, as the Gryffindor first years filed past. I saw you grab the arm of…" He paused again, looking at the spot the doe had vanished so long ago.

"I thought I would have to stop you from getting into trouble at first. Slytherin boys don't seek private conversations with Gryffindor girls. As I moved closer, however, I heard her say your name. This threw me off guard. How could these two first years, so different from each other, be on speaking terms? Then you asked something I will never forget…in a voice I will never forget."

Severus' mind raced back to that very conversation. He had been worried throughout the entire feast, not knowing what was to become of his friendship that surely could not last, not after the Sorting.

_He had not noticed Lucius watching him. He only had eyes for his best friend. No, he had thought, former best friend. He grabbed her as soon as he saw her red hair._

"Severus? What's wrong?" Her smile faded as she looked at his nervous face.

"Are we still friends?"

"What?" She had not expected that question.

"Can we still be friends? I mean, you're in Gryffindor now."

"So?" She did not understand.

"Slytherin and Gryffindor are supposed to hate each other." Severus explained.

"Oh," said Lily in a hurt voice. "So, you came to say you don't want to be my friend anymore?"

Severus was horrified. "No! Of course that's not what I'm saying!" This was not going well at all.

"Well then what are you saying?" She was still extremely confused. Had Severus not explained this a hundred times before?

"I just thought-I mean I'm a Slytherin-"

She laughed as she realized what he meant. "You think that I won't want to be your friend?" Lily grabbed Severus hands, sending a rush of warmth up his arms. He suddenly felt like he could fly. "Listen to me Sev," she said in a reassuring voice, coming up with the nickname on the spot. "There is nothing-nothing-that will make me not want to be friends with you. Do you know why?"

"Because I was the one to tell you what you were?" Severus guessed.

Lily giggled. He realized right then, holding her hands, that he loved her giggle. He never wanted to go a day without hearing it. It hit him, a small little eleven year-old, that he was in love with Lily Evans.

"It's because we aren't friends," she said, shocking him back into reality. She laughed again at the look on his face. "I mean we aren't just friends. We are best friends. We have been best friends since we met in that park by your house, and we will stay best friends forever."

"Promise? Promise that we will always be best friends?"

"Always."

She had not kept her promise...although he could not blame her for that. It had been he who had betrayed her first. He deserved to be cut off for what he had said, but what she did next caused him more pain than even he deserved.

"The look on your face as she said that one word is something I still can't get out of my head." Lucius said, looking at Severus as if he were a child who had scrapped his knee. "There was a glow I had never seen before. To this day I've only seen it a few times, and it was only ever on your face, only when you were with her."

Severus wiped his eyes dry once more, then got to his feet and closed the distance between the two of them. He held out his hand to Lucius, who looked at it like he was afraid to take it. After a few moments, Severus understood and returned to his knees, this time next to Lucius who, up close, looked as though he had not slept in weeks.

"Tell me what is bothering you. You know my grief, what is yours?"

After another short pause, Lucius took a deep breath and began.

"He is still fighting. Somewhere in the castle."

It took a moment for Severus to think of who Lucius could possibly mean. Then he realized the only person who could cause this Death Eater to show such weakness.

"Draco?" he asked. Hearing the name seemed to be the breaking point for the father. He began to sob uncontrollably. "Can you not…" Severus began. But he was cut short by Lucius' strangled voice.

"No. And he will not call off the battle until Potter comes to him."

Severus knew it was true. The Dark Lord did not give up when he wanted something and if he could use the boy's weakness against him, he surely would.

Severus waited until his companion had gathered himself, then he rose and, once again, offered his hand. Lucius took it this time without hesitation and pulled himself to his feet. They set off through the gate together, both men knowing what they must do next. Neither noticed that, as they turned in unison and disappeared, a small white flower floated to the ground where they had been a second before.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Severus found himself moving into the room where the Dark Lord was within minutes of leaving the playground. His eyes were not red or puffy, as would be expected after having cried for so long. His face was dry and emotionless, which he was more than grateful for. Any sign that he had shown any regret or grief was wiped from his being. Had it not been, he would not have been able to face the man (for lack of a better word) before him now.

He looked around the room and saw, to his great surprise, Nagini enclosed in a large magical sphere. A conversation he had with a man he killed came flooding back to him as he gazed at the serpent.

_"There will come a time when Lord Voldemort will seem to fear for the life of his snake…keeps it safe beside him under magical protection, then, I think, it will be sage to tell Harry."_

"Severus," the Dark Lord hissed, bringing him back to the present. "I was beginning to worry Lucius had abandoned his duties to me and went into battle to find his son."

"Of course not, my Lord," said Severus. "He would never betray your trust so deeply."

"Tell me, Severus, how is the battle coming along?"

Lucius had been right; the Dark Lord had not the slightest clue that Severus had left the fight. He was now asking for information, information that Severus did not have. He thought back to what Lucius had said before he had returned to the castle in search for his family.

"They are not doing well, my Lord. Allow me to go to the castle and help finish them off." He needed to find the boy; it was the only way…

"It sounds to me that your assistance is unnecessary. My Death Eaters have come this far, they will be able to finish the task I have set."

"If you will allow me to return to battle…" Severus heard a small scuffling sound behind a crate that was sitting against the wall. He knew what the crate was blocking, and suspected who had made the noise, so quiet that Voldemort had not noticed, but continued to sit and twist Dumbledore's wand through his fingers. He needed to continue so as not to raise suspicion. "…my Lord, their resistance is crumbling-"

"-and it is doing so without your help. Skilled wizard though you are, Severus, I do not think you will make much difference now. We are almost there…almost."

_Yes_, Severus thought, looking at the snake in her cage. _We are one step closer to your destruction._

"Let me find the boy. Let me bring you Potter. I know I can find him, my Lord. Please." He moved past the crate where he knew Potter was. He only wished he could get the message across to him.

The Dark Lord rose from the table he sat at. "I have a problem, Severus," he said, ignoring the previous request.

"My Lord?" Severus was still looking at the snake.

"Why doesn't it work for me, Severus?" Severus tore his eyes from the snake to see with Voldemort holding the Elder Wand.

He knew why, though he did not say so. He thought about the night he was told by Dumbledore what he must do. He had not wanted to, but he was forced to by the two greatest wizards the world had ever seen. His eyes once again found the snake and he remembered that he was expected to answer.

"My-my Lord? I do not understand. You-you have performed extraordinary magic with that wand."

"No, I have performed my usual magic. I am extraordinary, but this wand…no. It has not revealed the wonders it has promised. I feel no difference between this wand and the one I procured from Ollivander all those years ago. No difference."

Severus did not like the sound of the Dark Lord's discoveries. He had to leave now and find some way to tell Potter how to defeat this wizard. If he could just use Legilimency…but he would need eye contact for that.

Voldemort began to walk and speak before Severus had come up with any new ideas. "I have thought long and hard, Severus…Do you know why I have called you back from the battle?"

"No, my Lord, but I beg you will let me return." He was speaking to Nagini still. "Let me find Potter."

"You sound like Lucius. Neither of you understands Potter as I do. He does not need finding." This Severus knew, and he again wished he could see the boy behind the crate. Voldemort continued: "Potter will come to me. I know his weakness, you see, his one great flaw. He will hate watching the others struck down around him, knowing that it is for him that it happens. He will want to stop it at any cost. He will come."

"But my Lord, he might be killed accidentally by one other than yourself-"

"My instructions to my Death Eaters have been made perfectly clear. Capture Potter. Kill his friends-the more, the better-but do not kill him."

Severus continued to gaze at the giant serpent, as if she held the answer to this unsolvable problem. The Dark Lord, however, did not notice. He still had more to say.

"But it is of you that I wished to speak, Severus, not Harry Potter. You have been very valuable to me. Very valuable."

Tearing his eyes once more from the protective sphere, Severus gave another effort to free himself from the presence of his former master. "My Lord knows I seek only to serve him. But-let me go and find the boy, my Lord. Let me bring him to you. I know I can-"

"I have told you, no!" He turned and his cloak whipped around him. "My concern at the moment, Severus is what will happen when I finally meet the boy!"

He had figured it out. He knew the wand was not truly his. But what would he do about it? All Severus could do was play dumb.

"My Lord, there can be no question, surely-?"

"-but there _is_ a question, Severus. There is. Why did both the wands I have used fail when directed at Harry Potter?" He stared so intently at Severus, who, once again, had eyes only for the snake.

"I-I cannot answer that, my Lord." Severus was beginning to panic, though he kept his voice calm. Why was the Dark Lord asking these things of Severus, who knew nothing about his first two wands?

"Can't you?"

Severus looked again at Voldemort. It seemed to him as though there was a change in Voldemort's eyes. Was he imagining it because so much of the night had been thinking about Lily or was there actually a very slight rim of green around the red?

"My wand of yew did everything of which I asked it Severus, except to kill Harry Potter. Twice it failed. Ollivander told me under torture of the twin cores, told me to take another's wand. I did so, but Lucius's wand shattered upon meeting Potter's."

Severus had not heard what Voldemort had said. The appearance of the green in the red eyes forced him to think again of, not Lily, but her son. He now knew not what to say. "I-I have no explanation, my Lord."

"I sought a third wand, Severus." He did not even notice his name being used, his mind still consumed with finding and warning her son. "The Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny, the Deathstick. I took it from its previous master. I took it from the grave of Albus Dumbledore."

At the sound of the name, Severus heard the words that always followed: "You _must kill me."_

He felt weak again as he looked at Voldemort. He tried to keep his face emotionless, but he felt all the blood rush from his head. He had to keep his promise. There was no way around it. He gave one final attempt to leave, his last chance to bring some good out of losing the only woman he loved.

"My Lord-let me go to the boy-"

"All this long night," Voldemort whispered, "when I am on the brink of victory, I have sat here, wondering, wondering, why the Elder Wand refuses to be what it ought to be, refuses to perform as legend says it must perform for its rightful owner…and I think I have the answer."

Severus could not find his voice. Words from earlier that night came back to him: _"…I do not think you will make much difference now..."_

"Perhaps you already know it? You are a clever man, after all, Severus."

_"Why doesn't it work for me, Severus?"_

"You have been a good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen."

_"…what will happen when I meet the boy…"_

"My Lord-"

"The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master."

_"…as legend says it must perform for its rightful owner…"_

"The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner."

"You_ must kill me._"

_"…its rightful owner…"_

"You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot be truly mine."

_"…I regret what must happen…the Elder Wand cannot be truly mine."_

"My Lord!" Severus raised his wand, knowing the Elder Wand could not-would not-kill its master.

"It cannot be any other way. I must master the wand, Severus. Master the wand, and I master Potter at last."

_"…regret what must happen."_

Voldemort sliced the air with the Elder Wand. Severus prepared himself for death's blow, almost wishing it would come.

_"…what must happen…what must happen…what must happen…"_

But nothing did happen. Voldemort did not seem surprised, but Severus could not believe he was still standing. The Dark Lord had made it sound as though his intentions were to kill Severus to poses the wand. Severus must have misunderstood.

Then he saw the snake, in her enchanted protective sphere, moving through the air towards him.

A horrible sound escaped his throat as his head moved through the cage. All sounds were muffled except the quiet hissing of Nagini. Then, another set of hissing cut the air, coming from the figure watching the scene without a sign of the regret he had mentioned.

Pain like he had never felt caused Severus to scream, a sound that rang out through the quiet shack. The fangs inside his neck let venom seep slowly into his veins. He tried to push the bubble from his head, but it was no use. The venom had spread quickly despite how slowly it had entered him. His knees gave way and he found himself on his knees once more that evening.

"I regret it." There was no regret in the voice or expression. Voldemort ordered the snake off the dying man with a flick of his wand. Severus fell to the floor as his killer left the room.

Blood spilled onto the wood floor, and Severus had a few moments to reflect. He thought of Lily and of Dumbledore, of how he had failed them both. He had not been able to warn the boy of what must come. He had been unable to give him the instructions set by Dumbledore. As blood flowed from his limp body, Severus wished only to be able to see those brilliant green eyes once more.

As though on cue with his thoughts, the crate against the wall began to slowly move aside, an inch off the ground, revealing the passage he knew was there. There was a small scuffling issuing from the hole in the wall, but Severus felt no fear. Footsteps, nearly silent, came towards him. With all his effort, he put his hand to his neck to keep as much blood off the ground as possible. The person coming closer should not slip on his blood.

A small flurry of movement, and there he stood, the boy who Severus had given his life for. But he was no longer a boy. He was a man. A man who looked so like the man that had tortured Severus in every possible way, Severus had to look into the eyes to remind himself that it was only the son.

Harry bent down, a look of pure bewilderment on his face, whether from the shock of seeing the man he hated die, or because he was now standing so close to the killer of the only parental figure he had left, Severus was not sure. All he knew was that all was not lost as he had thought. He reached up and grabbed the man's robes as he thought of everything he could that would make him trust Severus. He let the memories flood inside him, using the complicated spell to make them tangible.

With every ounce of energy he could muster, Severus managed to find his voice. "Take…it…Take…it…" And he felt his memories slip away with his words.

The Granger girl-woman-pushed a flask into Potter's hand, who collected the mist with his wand. Potter just stared at the silver liquid-gas as though he was unsure how he had come to possess it. He looked so like his father.

Severus felt his life leaving his body. He could not let the last thing he saw in this world be the arrogant Potter who stole everything he had to live for. Then he remembered:

_"He has her eyes, precisely her eyes. You remember the shape and color of Lily Evan's eyes, I am sure?"_

"Look…at…me…." It should have taken all his power, everything he had, to whisper those three words. But it did not. It took no effort at all. It was separated only because his fatal injuries would not allow a steady sentence.

As Harry met Severus' eye, the latter felt oddly at peace. He gazed into the eyes that were Lily's, and the face around them began to dissolve. A new face took its place. The doe he had called upon for comfort so many times materialized around the brilliant green eyes. She led him away from the Shrieking Shack, away from Hogwarts, away from this life. He followed her willingly, not knowing where she was taking him, only knowing that if he did not follow, surely he would be forced to return to the cruel world he had left.

After a few moments, Severus saw a light in the distance. A moment later, a figure appeared. Another moment, another figure. With every passing second, the green eyed doe and her companion were closer to the light and the two figures within. Soon, they were right next to the figures, now able to make them out. As Albus beamed, the doe vanished, leaving her eyes to float to the second figure, who reached her hand out to Severus. He stared for a moment at the only two people he had ever cared about, the only two people who had ever cared about him. A tear fell behind the half-moon glasses of the man so like a father to him as Severus Snape took the waiting hand of the woman he loved more than anything in the world.


End file.
